Honor 50 smartphone in review: Goes with Google without Huawei
Things have been quiet around Honor for a quite some time, which is why our last Honor review, the Honor 10X Lite, was more than a year ago. The last high-end Honor smartphone in our database was the Honor 20. The manufacturer is now starting anew with the Honor 50, which also uses modern 5G SoCs in addition to Google services after the separation from Huawei.
The Honor 50 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G with integrated Adreno 642L graphics as well as 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. The Android smartphone is available for about 600 Euros.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.5 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2021 | Honor 50 SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L | 175 g | 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.57" | 2340x1080 | |
| 84.2 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2021 | Motorola Edge 20 SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L | 163 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.70" | 2400x1080 | |
| 85.1 % v7 (old) | 09 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L | 189 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.50" | 2400x1080 | |
| 86.6 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2021 | Xiaomi 11T Dimensity 1200, Mali-G77 MP9 | 203 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 85.3 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2021 | Huawei Nova 9 SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L | 175 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.57" | 2340x1080 |
Case: Lightweight Android phone
Honor manufactures the smartphone with a metal frame with the front and back being made of glass. The build quality is very high and the controls sit firmly in their bezels. However, the smartphone does not have an IP certification. Compared with our other review samples, the Honor 50 is one of the lighter smartphones out there and is slightly shorter than other phones in its class.
Features: No microSD in Honor 50
The Honor 50 allows the use of two NanoSIM cards. VoLTE and VoWi-Fi are supported. A microSD card reader has been omitted and a USB-C port with USB 2.0 standard is available for wired data transfer. DRM Widevine L1 is offered and a Level 3 Camera2 API is also available. There is no notification LED or a 3.5 mm jack.
Software: Honor smartphone with Google services
The operating system of the Honor 50 is based on Android 11 and uses the manufacturer's own Magic UI 4.2 as the user interface. This UI is reminiscent of stock Android but relies on a different structuring of the settings menu and brings its own applications for pictures, videos and the file manager.
The corresponding Google applications are also available and the Play Store can be used without problems. The manufacturer does not install any third-party apps.
Communications and GNSS: With 5G and fast WLAN
The Honor 50 can establish mobile connections in GSM, 3G, LTE, and 5G networks. However, only two GSM and 3G bands are supported. The installed SoC supports LTE Cat. 18, which theoretically allows up to 1200 MBit/s for downlinking and a maximum of 225 MBit/s for uploading data.
NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, and Wi-Fi 6 are available for the Android smartphone in the near field. Testing with our reference Netgear Nighthawk AX12 router, we achieved average speeds of 852 MBit/s during transmission and 769 MBit/s during data reception. This result is enough for a place in the upper range of our test field. The short dip seen in the test curve below occurred regularly in each of the three runs.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Honor 50 | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Huawei Nova 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Honor 50 | |
| Huawei Nova 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
The Honor 50 can determine location with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou. With the "GPS Test" app, we could achieve an accuracy of up to 4 m outdoors.
Compared with our reference Garmin Edge 500 device, the Honor 50 shows slightly larger deviations especially in curves. However, long straight lines are recorded with a similar accuracy.
Phone features and voice quality: Good connection with the Honor 50
The telephony app of the Honor 50 offers quick access to a numeric keypad, saved favorites, and the contact list. During calls, the Android smartphone delivers a high volume and participants can be heard clearly on both sides. Suppression of background noise also works reliably.
Cameras: Extensive video functions
The front camera of the Honor 50 can take pictures with a 32 MP sensor. The quality is very good and even fine details and structures are clearly visible. Colors look quite natural, but they can also be adjusted via predefined color filters.
A professional mode is reserved for the main camera on the back, which provides detailed pictures and vivid colors with the 108 MP sensor. In addition, there is an 8 MP camera for ultra-wide-angle shots, which, however, look a bit low in contrast and carry slight blurriness. A 2 MP sensor supports the camera in bokeh shots and another one is available for macro shots. The aforementioned Pro mode allows manual adjustment of focus, ISO, shutter speed, lighting, and white balance.
Video recordings are made with a similar quality as shown in our test photos. Available resolutions include 4K at 30 fps, 1080p (21:9 and 16:9) at 30 and 60 fps, and 720p at 30 fps. The camera software also offers a multi-video function that allows recording videos on a split screen with the front and rear camera simultaneously as well as seamlessly switching between the front and rear shooters. There is no Pro mode for video recording.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
NahaufnahmePanoramaUltraweitwinkelZoom (5-fach)LowLight
The camera of the Honor 50 displays the ColorChecker passport colors a bit stronger than they should be. The test chart is very sharp and also has strong colors. There is a slight contrast weakness in the lower corners.
Accessories and warranty: Protective cover included
The scope of delivery of the Honor 50 includes a 66 W fast charger with matching USB-C cable, a SIM needle, and a protective silicone case. The warranty period is 24 months.
Input devices & operation: SwiftKey comes standard
Honor uses Microsoft's SwiftKey as the standard keyboard. It offers many customization options and is well suited for entering longer texts. The touchscreen responds quiet reliably. Extensive swipe movements are also possible on the screen without problems.
The highly reliable in-display fingerprint sensor can be used to unlock the smartphone. Face recognition also worked well in the test.
Display: 120 Hz screen
The display of the Honor 50 is a 6.57-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels. The maximum brightness reaches a good 722 cd/m², but only up to 527 cd/m² can be set without an active illumination sensor. Up to 933 cd/m² brightness is achieved in the APL50 test. The lowest adjustable brightness level is 3.68 cd/m², and the display's illumination reaches 97 percent.
Our PWM measurement shows a constant value of 120 Hz across all brightness levels, which can be interpreted as permanently active DC dimming.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 731 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.88
ΔE Greyscale 4.2 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.19
| Honor 50 OLED, 2340x1080, 6.6" | Motorola Edge 20 OLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.5" | Xiaomi 11T AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Huawei Nova 9 OLED, 2340x1080, 6.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 0% | 14% | 24% | 20% | |
| Brightness middle | 731 | 479 -34% | 736 1% | 781 7% | 621 -15% |
| Brightness | 722 | 480 -34% | 751 4% | 782 8% | 632 -12% |
| Brightness Distribution | 97 | 94 -3% | 96 -1% | 94 -3% | 96 -1% |
| Black Level * | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.1 | 2.06 34% | 2.18 30% | 2 35% | 1.7 45% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.8 | 4.54 22% | 5.69 2% | 2.9 50% | 2.8 52% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.2 | 3.5 17% | 2.1 50% | 2.3 45% | 2.2 48% |
| Gamma | 2.19 100% | 2.205 100% | 2.27 97% | 2.28 96% | 2.17 101% |
| CCT | 6818 95% | 6794 96% | 6563 99% | 6852 95% | 6806 96% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 120.5 Hz | ≤ 100 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 120.5 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 100 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 120.5 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8553 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The OLED screen of the Honor 50 displays colors with an excellent contrast ratio and delivers deep and rich blacks. The color representation can also be adjusted in the settings menu with predefined modes. Of these, the profile "Vivid" in combination with the color temperature "Warm" provide the lowest deviation of the color components.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.8 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 8 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.6 ms). | ||
The Honor 50 can be used well outdoors. The brightness is high enough to display content legibly even in very bright ambient light.
The Honor 50's OLED panel shows a slight greenish cast from very flat viewing angles. Apart from that, the content is displayed unaltered.
Performance: On par with the competition
The Honor 50 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G and 8 GB of RAM to ensure smooth system operation, which also allows running more demanding applications without problems.
In the benchmarks for system performance, the Honor smartphone usually achieves a ranking in the upper range of our test field, behind the Xiaomi 11T. The results of graphics-intensive tests, on the other hand, are a bit more mixed and show lower scores than the comparison devices we chose.
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Honor 50 | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Huawei Nova 9 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (59 - 69, n=11) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15 - 166, n=171, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Honor 50 | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Huawei Nova 9 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (77 - 79, n=11) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (12 - 502, n=171, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Honor 50 | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Huawei Nova 9 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (48 - 53, n=11) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (8.9 - 166, n=171, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Honor 50 | |
| Motorola Edge 20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Huawei Nova 9 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (56 - 58, n=11) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (8.3 - 365, n=171, last 2 years) | |
In the browser benchmarks, the Honor 50 always achieves second place in our tests. Close on the heels of the Honor 50 are the Xiaomi 11T and the Motorola Edge 20 with the Edge 20 always leading the comparison. In everyday use, this rating is reflected in smoothly scrolling websites and fast loading of media content.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=169, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Edge 20 (Chrome 95) | |
| Honor 50 (Chrome 96) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (58.8 - 86.8, n=11) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G (Chrome 93) | |
| Huawei Nova 9 (Huawei Browser 12.0.0.303) | |
| Xiaomi 11T (Chrome 94.0.4606.85) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Motorola Edge 20 (Chrome 95) | |
| Honor 50 (Chrome 96) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (102.6 - 155.3, n=7) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G (Chrome 93) | |
| Xiaomi 11T (Chrome 94.0.4606.85) | |
| Huawei Nova 9 (Huawei Browser 12.0.0.303) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Edge 20 (Chrome 95) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G (Chrome 93) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (93 - 131, n=10) | |
| Honor 50 (Chrome 96) | |
| Huawei Nova 9 (Huawei Browser 12.0.0.303) | |
| Xiaomi 11T (Chrome 94.0.4606.85) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=208, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Edge 20 (Chrome 95) | |
| Honor 50 (Chrome 96) | |
| Xiaomi 11T (Chrome 94.0.4606.85) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (23915 - 31915, n=11) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G (Chrome 93) | |
| Huawei Nova 9 (Huawei Browser 12.0.0.303) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Huawei Nova 9 (Huawei Browser 12.0.0.303) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G (Chrome 93) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (1323 - 1893, n=11) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=168, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi 11T (Chrome 94.0.4606.85) | |
| Honor 50 (Chrome 96) | |
| Motorola Edge 20 (Chrome 95) | |
* ... smaller is better
Honor installs a 256 GB UFS 2.1 storage in our test model of the Honor 50. It achieves average speeds and is thus on par with comparable smartphones. Alternatively, the Honor 50 is also offered with a 128 GB internal storage.
| Honor 50 | Motorola Edge 20 | Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | Xiaomi 11T | Huawei Nova 9 | Average 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -17% | -22% | 11% | 2% | -34% | 75% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 984 | 1011 3% | 951 -3% | 1790 82% | 1030 5% | 829 ? -16% | 2002 ? 103% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 609 | 471.4 -23% | 486.5 -20% | 942 55% | 759 25% | 376 ? -38% | 1611 ? 165% |
| Random Read 4KB | 245.7 | 190.2 -23% | 168.2 -32% | 139.3 -43% | 229.6 -7% | 168.8 ? -31% | 282 ? 15% |
| Random Write 4KB | 280.2 | 210.6 -25% | 192.5 -31% | 133.3 -52% | 239.2 -15% | 143.6 ? -49% | 322 ? 15% |
Games: Gaming at high details
The internal graphics unit Qualcomm Adreno 642L in the Honor 50 delivers enough performance to render even more demanding games smoothly. The titles we tested did not show any stutters or the likes even with high graphics settings. The operation via the touchscreen was also very good.
Emissions: Stable performance under load
Temperature
The surface temperatures of the Honor 50 rise up to 34.7 °C during heavy load. Thus, the smartphone feels warm but never gets too hot. The demanding 3DMark stress tests also show that the performance is maintained without drops over a long period.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.7 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.4 °C / 90 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Honor 50 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Honor 50 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
Loudspeaker
The speakers of the Honor 50 play relatively loud and offer a sound spectrum that is pronounced on the higher tones. Thus, they are well suited for reproducing speech content. However, external speakers or headphones are recommended for listening to music or for more extensive media consumption.
Honor 50 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (92.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.7% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 12% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 32% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi 11T audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 4% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 22% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life: Smartphone with long runtime
Power consumption
Our measurements indicate an average power consumption of 2.98 W for the Honor 50 in our idle scenario, which is slightly higher than the other smartphones in our test. The values under load, on the other hand, are on par with comparable devices.
| Off / Standby |   0.03 / 0.19 Watt |
| Idle |  1.02 / 2.98 / 3.11 Watt |
| Load |
3.59 / 7.12 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Honor 50 4300 mAh | Motorola Edge 20 4000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G 4500 mAh | Xiaomi 11T 5000 mAh | Huawei Nova 9 4300 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 19% | 17% | 14% | 6% | 4% | -5% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.02 | 1 2% | 1.2 -18% | 0.78 24% | 0.96 6% | 1.106 ? -8% | 0.872 ? 15% |
| Idle Average * | 2.98 | 1.3 56% | 1.4 53% | 1.86 38% | 2.47 17% | 2.07 ? 31% | 1.439 ? 52% |
| Idle Maximum * | 3.11 | 1.6 49% | 1.7 45% | 1.88 40% | 2.55 18% | 2.32 ? 25% | 1.589 ? 49% |
| Load Average * | 3.59 | 3.9 -9% | 3.6 -0% | 3.98 -11% | 3.85 -7% | 4.17 ? -16% | 6.96 ? -94% |
| Load Maximum * | 7.12 | 7.2 -1% | 6.9 3% | 8.78 -23% | 7.43 -4% | 7.81 ? -10% | 10.4 ? -46% |
* ... smaller is better
Leistungsaufnahme: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Leistungsaufnahme: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery life
In our practical WLAN test, the Honor 50 achieves a runtime of just over 15 hours. Thus, it can utilize its 4,300 mAh battery quite well.
The included 66 W power adapter fully recharges the Honor smartphone in about 45 minutes.
| Honor 50 4300 mAh | Motorola Edge 20 4000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G 4500 mAh | Xiaomi 11T 5000 mAh | Huawei Nova 9 4300 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 907 | 716 -21% | 721 -21% | 813 -10% | 652 -28% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Honor on par with the competition again
The Honor 50 is a high-quality smartphone as is known and expected from the manufacturer. The build quality is correspondingly good, and the camera's pictures and overall system performance are also quite convincing. The long battery life and the included quick charger round off the smartphone package.
With Google services and 5G, the Honor 50 once again becomes serious competition for upper mid-range smartphones.
The formal separation from Huawei also means that Honor is no longer subject to the trade restrictions that prevented the use of different technologies. Thus, the Android phone can now be shipped with Google services again and is allowed to use a current Qualcomm chip with 5G. This ensures decent competition against devices like the Xiaomi 11T or the Motorola Edge 20.
Which restrictions will continue to be present in the parent company will be known in the soon to be published review of the externally identical Huawei Nova 9.
Price and availability
The Honor 50 is available now and can be purchased at Amazon at a price that is considerably lower than the RRP.
Honor 50
- 08/30/2022 v7 (old)
Mike Wobker
Price comparison
